Curried Chestnut Soup

You can use fresh chestnuts for roasting, available in the supermarkets from late October through December, or bottled and canned varieties, available year-round.

Ingredients

• 1 tbs. olive oil

• 1½cups chopped onion

• 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

• 1 ¾ tsp. curry powder

• 2 cups diced sweet potatoes

• 2 cups 2-inch green bean pieces

• 1 can (14.5 oz.) white kidney beans, rinsed and drained

• 5 cups chicken broth (Ed. Note: Can substitute vegetable broth)

• 2 cups water

• 1½ cups chopped cooked chestnuts

• ½tsp. dried basil

• ¼tsp. ground cumin

• 1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped

• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.

2. Add onions and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.

3. Add curry powder, garlic, and sweet potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.

4. Add green beans, kidney beans, broth and water and bring to a boil.

5. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.

6. Transfer 4 cups of the soup to a blender container or food processor workbowl and puree until smooth. Return to Dutch oven.

7. Stir in stewed tomatoes, basil and cumin.

8. Heat thoroughly and serve.

This recipe was excerptedfrom The Garlic Cookbook, © 2000. Reprinted with permission from the publisher: Bristol Publishing Enterprises, Inc., P.O. Box 1737, San Leandro, California, 94577. 

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David DiResta gives cooking demonstrations in the Boston area, works as a catering and retail consultant, and keeps up with current cooking and kitchenware trends. His other books (many coauthored with his wife Joanne) include Cooking with Parchment Paper, The Toaster Oven Cookbook, Sautés, and Oven and Rotisserie Roasting.